Governor Moore Announces Registered Apprenticeship Program to Expand Maryland’s Teacher Workforce and Create More Affordable Pathways to Teaching Careers
Annapolis, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced Maryland’s first state-sponsored registered apprenticeship program for teaching. The program will enable aspiring teachers to receive more hands-on training, mentorship, and paid work experience while reducing the out-of-pocket cost of earning a degree and license.
“If someone is raising their hand to teach our children, they should be rewarded with opportunity, not burdened by debt,” said Gov. Moore. “Today marks another step in our work to uplift the aspirations of our students and educators by closing the teacher shortage. And together, we will continue our work to ensure Maryland public schools are the best in the nation.”
Unlike traditional educator preparation programs, the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program will allow apprentices to begin working in the classroom while earning their college degree and teaching license. Through partnerships with colleges and universities, apprentices will have access to flexible course offerings and opportunities to earn college credits for their on-the-job learning.
“If someone has a passion for education, we want to prepare them with the skills, experience, and certifications they will need to be successful—because their success is Maryland’s success,” said Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu. “This apprenticeship program opens doors for Marylanders who want to teach, but may not have the resources to pursue a traditional path.”
Approved by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council, the program was developed through a partnership between the Maryland State Department of Education, Maryland State Education Association, and Maryland Department of Labor, following a framework first implemented by St. Mary’s County Public Schools in 2024—Maryland’s first county-specific registered apprenticeship for teachers.
The program’s first cohort is expected to begin enrollment in Caroline and Washington counties in early 2026. When fully scaled, the program will be open to participants across the state, providing training options for future educators at a wide range of experience levels—from high school students considering a career in teaching to mid-career professionals preparing for a career pivot.
The State of Maryland has filled more than 500 teacher vacancies since the Moore-Miller Administration took office and continues to make more progress a top priority. The Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act—signed by the governor this year—takes additional steps to address the teacher shortage by developing fully licensed teachers through recruitment campaigns and supporting debt-free pathways to teacher licensure.
Currently, half of Maryland’s teachers come from other states, making a statewide registered apprenticeship program for teaching critical for enabling more Marylanders to pursue teaching careers.
“This ‘earn-as-you-learn’ model will help address the state’s critical teacher shortage by taking a homegrown approach to preparing the next generation of educators,” said State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright. “Through the apprenticeship, participants will gain hands-on classroom experience, receive mentorship and support from veteran educators, and pursue their teaching credentials while earning a salary. Most importantly, more students will have the opportunity to learn from teachers who come from communities like their own.
We want to thank our Maryland Department of Labor partners for working with us to make this a reality, as well as the Caroline and Washington County Public Schools for being the first to participate in the apprenticeship program.”
“The Maryland State Education Association is excited about the joint effort to build the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, because it’s critically important that we expand high-quality pathways to becoming an educator,” said Maryland State Education Association President Paul Lemle. “A well-constructed apprenticeship program recognizes teaching is a profession that requires investment, training, and support. It meets the needs of our students, and our future, by providing great teachers to schools across the state. It also opens a door into teaching for students and workers who are currently in other roles, but whose career goals include making a difference in our classrooms.”
